1. Field of the Invention
A storage bin for bulk landscaping material includes a bin body having a bottom wall, a pair of parallel spaced side walls, and a rear end wall closing the rear end of the bin body, thereby to define a chamber that is open at its front end. A rectangular ramp wall is hingedly connected with the bottom wall at the front end of the bin body for displacement between a vertical position partially closing the bin front end, and a downwardly inclined ramp position in engagement with the ground, whereby an unloading vehicle may be driven up the ramp to engage the bulk material. A horizontal connecting bar is mounted at the front end of the storage bin, whereby the bin may be transported to a site by a tilt flat bed transporting vehicle, and deposited rear-end-first from the flat bed.
2. Description of Related Art
Storage bins for bulk materials are well known in the patented prior art. A storage container with a pair of swinging doors is shown in the Straka U.S. Pat. No. 6,910,574. Collapsible and sectional shipping and storage containers are shown by the patents to Csumrik No. U.S. Pat. No. 3,809,278 and Roberts U.S. Pat. No. 5,192,176. The provision of retractable covers for storage containers is shown by the patents to Willingham No. U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,713 and Aulick U.S. Pat. No. 7,484,789.
In the prior Hughes U.S. Pat. No. 7,819,270, a telescoping material handling bin is disclosed wherein a ramp end wall is pivoted downwardly to permit a loading/unloading vehicle to be driven up the ramp for engagement with the bulk material contained in the bin.
One problem that occurs during the use of such known material handling and storage bins is that of transporting the bin to a given landscaping site, and removing the bin from the transporting vehicle without the bulk material shifting within the container to block the access doors, and/or to be discharged from an opening in a container wall.
The present invention was developed to avoid the above and other drawbacks of the known storage bins.